How your clutter can be harming your family
Over the past few months, we have done many general pest treatments for new home buyers or renters. Often during these visits,we start conversations with the home occupier, who says something like, ‘moving is a good time for a clean out.’ While it is true, it makes us wonder, ‘why wait?’
Decluttering can be quite cathartic as there is something enjoyable about ridding your home of unnecessary items. But there definitely shouldn’t be months or potentially years between cleanouts, and here are our top three reasons why:
Clutter offers nesting sites
During a moving clean out, or even the annual spring clean, you no doubt discovered long-lost treasures tucked into the back of a cupboard. But if your t-shirt found a haven in the darkness, think how appealing it could be for pests.
Rodents love hiding in piles of paper, boxes, and clothing. It’s warm, dark, and often quiet, an attractive place to build a nest. For spiders, undisturbed clutter is an ideal location to establish a long-term web, and we all know how moths love unventilated areas such as full wardrobes. This means those items you thought were safe in the back of your cupboards are being ruined by pests you don’t suspect are there.
Clutter offers sustenance
We have all done it: forgotten about an open box of something in the back of the pantry. We’ve opened it brand new and popped it at the front of the shelf, meaning to use it again shortly. But slowly, it’s been shoved further and further back behind newer items until it is inevitably discovered having scattered its contents across the shelf, surrounded by suspicious droppings.
This is quite a common household complaint as pests are naturally attracted to pantries, kitchens, bathrooms, and laundries because they have essential food and water. Each time a food source is left open, it becomes a beacon to pests attracting them from near and far because it is a food source they can easily get to. Even your home or business office could be enticing if you leave snacks in the drawers or dirty coffee cups on your desk.
Clutter can lead to health problems and allergic reactions
Decluttering can not only rid your home of unnecessary items, but it could also improve your family’s health. Pests, particularly mice, rats, and cockroaches, can produce harmful bacteria via their urine or faeces, which they could leave all over your home. They may also be leaving this excrement in your food or water. Not to mention their dander and other pathogens could trigger asthma attacks.
Other pests, such as spiders, fleas and various breeds of bugs, can cause itchy or painful skin irritation through bites. Some bites may also induce an allergic reaction or cause minor injuries.
We think this alone is a good enough reason to declutter.
Decluttering solutions:
Fortunately, there are a few easy and relatively cheap solutions to help you declutter and reduce the chances of attracting pests:
- Be clever with your storage–Utilise hooks or open-air cubbies rather than closed cupboards for frequently used items. This will minimise the chances of other items being shoved to the back.
- Give the pantry a clean slate– Remove everything from your pantry, clean it thoroughly, and throw out expired items. Then when replacing items, group them, i.e. open items on one shelf at eye level, so you always see them.It also pays to ensure that frequently used items are at easy reach while specialty items, such as baking goods, are stored on their own, potentially in a sealed container.
- Consider a seasonal closet cleanout – We know what you’re thinking, Mackay doesn’t really have ‘seasons’. We have ‘hot and humid’ and a ‘slight chill’ for about four weeks a year. But those changes in weather are opportunistic for a wardrobe cleanout. Consider donating items which you rarely or never wear or even repurposing items.
These are just three simple changes you can make to your storage. But our friends at Get it Sorted Mackay will have many more. Adrienne and the team offer organization solutions for your cupboards, pantry, rooms or even the whole house.
So, get in contact with Get it Sorted Mackay to help declutter your life. Then, once it’s done, book a treatment with us at Integrity Pest Control Mackay to fully eradicate those pests. Call [0429623315] for a free quote or book instantly HERE
